


Star Wars: Vengeance

by phenixreturns



Series: The Power of Fate [2]
Category: Code Geass, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Kylo Ren Backstory, POV Alternating, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:30:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7543369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phenixreturns/pseuds/phenixreturns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While the Resistance and the Black Knights have managed an uneasy alliance since Larissa's betrayal, the First Order continues to advance it's control. Unless Zero and his allies can gain an advantage, it's only a matter of time before the Order will destroy them too.<br/>Rey continues to train under Luke Skywalker, to expand her powers and one day bring Kylo Ren to justice for his crimes.<br/>Rey believes that Larissa can be saved, that she can be turned back to the light, but Rey underestimates Larissa's lust for vengeance and power.<br/>In the First Order, Larissa is proving herself useful to the Supreme Leader, but she knows that her place isn't set, that there are those in Order who wish to see her fail. In order to secure her power and her place at her brother's side, she must assure her loyalty to the Order and the Supreme Leader.<br/>But the sins of the past have yet to truly reveal themselves, and one way or another, payment must be made.<br/>Fate cannot be escaped.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Rising Tide

_Luke had always wanted a family. Even when he was young, he'd dreamed of having a wife and a children to call his own. After he'd had his adventures flying the universe of course, he'd planned to settle down on a planet far far away from his home of Tatooine. He dreamed of forests and lakes and planets instead of dusty surroundings._

_When he'd accepted his training as a Jedi, it wasn't long before Luke realized the dream he'd always expected to become a reality, could never come to be. Luke had quickly learned that as Jedi, he was expected to let go of his attachments, in order to find greater peace within the Force. This meant no wife, no children. Luke would never be able to be a true father, not as long as he continued on his path to become a Jedi Master. So instead of mourning, Luke had thrown himself into his studies, searching far and wide for teachers who, though were not Jedi's themselves, but knowledgeable enough in the ways of the Force so he could learn from them and become as much of a master he could be without a live Jedi to instruct him. Though the life of a roaming learner was not the life he had imagined when he'd dreamed on that sandy, dry planet, it held a certain amount of satisfaction that had left him content for many years._

_That was, until he met his niece and nephew. They named the girl Larissa, after one of Alderaan's former moons, and her twin brother, Ben, named after his own mentor. When Han had found him and told him about Leia's condition, they'd raced back on the Millennium Falcon just in time to help Leia give birth to the next generation. Luke immediately had been taken with the twins. He'd never really been around young children, but the more time he spent with the rambunctious twins, the more he loved them._

_It became evident very quickly that both the twins were powerful in the Force, far more powerful than any of the other children he'd encountered in his travels. Though he loved Ben, he'd always been partial to Larissa. She'd always had a certain wonder when Luke described the Force to her, a thirst for knowledge only stalled by her seemingly innate understanding that the power she possessed was not to be trifled with._

_Even though Leia had originally said no to Luke training her children, Luke began set a place for them, and all the other children who he'd found with powers of their own. Seeing his sister bring new life into this world, roused another dream inside him: to rebuild the Jedi once again. He searched out the teacher's he'd found throughout his travels and enlisted their help in creating a temple for other children like his niece and nephew. Of course, for the first few years of their lives, Leia and Han refused to let Luke teach their children, until, that is, Ben began ask about Darth Vader. It had been subtle at first, the gentle curiosity of a child. Then the curiosity became darker. Leia had come to him, fearful of where that curiosity might lead. It was then Luke had shown her the temple, and suggested Ben and his twin come to train with him. Luke was sure that if they learned the practices of a Jedi, that both Ben and Larissa would be better for it._

_Luke had thought the plan was perfect, that he'd get to see Ben and Larissa grow to lead the next generation of Jedi into the new world. But as he sat in pilot's seat of the ship, he wondered how he'd gotten it wrong. How far had he been in a delusion not to see it? Now he'd done something irrefutable. He'd taken her memories away, all of them, stripped her abilities from her, because he'd had to. It had taken him a while to realize just how powerful Larissa was, and just how dangerous Ben Solo had become. They couldn't be allowed to be together, especially after what he'd seen. He had to find someplace for her that she could be safe, far far away from her brother._

_He set the controls on course once he'd determined his destination, a remote royalty known as the Britannia System. It was isolationist, the rulers determined to keep themselves as far from the rest of the galaxy as possible. It would be the safest place for her. He would never find her here. In the back of the ship lay Larissa, breathing, in a deep, heavy sleep. He caressed her hair softly, the sadness welling in his mind. He could sense the sleep she was in was not natural. Her mind was blank, empty, nothing more than a shell. He took her small hand shakily in his own and held it._

_In this moment he grieved._

_Though he never had had children of his own, he'd always thought of Larissa as the daughter he never had. The fact he'd been forced to take such measures in order to keep the world safe pained him, but Larissa could never awaken again. The only place she could exist now would be in the memories he possessed, because if she ever awoke again, Luke feared nothing would stop her. She would rise like a wave of vengeance and destroy the world for what he had done to her._

_Of that, Luke was perfectly certain._

* * *

 The one thing Lelouch had always prided himself on was patience. One had to be patient in order to complete his objectives, to play the games he had to play, and achieve the goals that advanced his cause. It was paramount to keep his patience, because it meant no one held any power over him, that in every situation he was always in control of himself at the very least. As long as he held that power, everything else was adaptable, able to move and shift as he needed it to. His patience was what had gotten him this far, his patience was how he had managed to survive against sometimes seemly insurmountable odds. In the last six months, however, his patience had done little stop Larissa.

Shortly after the holo-recording from the base had been recovered, the First Order had begun an aggressive campaign to capture all territories that had previously been under the now destroyed New Republic's control. It had become apparent all too quickly for those in the Resistance and the Black Knights exactly who was leading the campaign. Only someone with the kind of training and intellect that Larissa possessed could efficiently take out the reigning government of a planet and replace it with the First Order. If Lelouch stepped back and looked at the situation impassively, he could freely admit how impressed he was with her efficiency and skill. Though each attack pretty much slaughtered any resisting government, the attacks were so accurate that most of the surrounding areas survived, as opposed to the Order's previous strategy of total destruction and then claiming victory over the ruins.

However, Larissa's well aimed campaign was causing far too many problems for the Black Knights' new allies. Any Resistance member identified in the new territories were executed on sight, and with every world that Larissa won, meant it was another world the Resistance lost. Slowly but surely, the First Order was eating away at the Resistance's control. The only reason the Black Knights hadn't been affected as severely was because Lelouch had always focused most of his efforts on his own system and used other means to get his information from other systems.

While this was a problem to be sure, one that Lelouch needed to address quickly if he was to continue working as efficiently as he had before, most of his patience was spent dealing with the Resistance leadership. While he respected Leia, and was utterly convinced of her strength and intelligence as a leader, Larissa's turn to the Dark had broken something in the older woman. A part of her had disappeared, and it still had yet to truly return. In Leia's deficit, the other ranking officers had taken charge, but they didn't have half the intellect and perception Leia had in Lelouch's opinion, and more than once Lelouch had had to explain simple things in such a way he almost wished that he was facing his own brother than dealing with the fools.

" _I don't understand," the old mashed face of Commander Caluan Ematt repeated again, for what seemed to Lelouch like the millionth time. He gritted his teeth beneath his mask and began again._

" _These attacks by the Order are not random, Larissa is choosing them for a reason," he intoned slowly, with gentle emphasis in each word, hoping that this time the Commander would finally hear and understand. "She is systematically taking out the strongest allies and supporters of the former Republic so that the weaker ones will fall to the Order with little resistance and effort."_

" _But why choose Variath first?" the Commander insisted. "Though Variath was a strong supporter of the new Republic it was by no means its strongest ally. If your theory is correct, then there were far better planets and systems she could have chosen." This man clearly had no imagination, that much was clear._

_Li interjected quickly, sensing his commander's frustration. "It was a trial run, Commander. Larissa was testing the efficiency of her team, before she could move onto larger targets."_

" _Why would she waste resources on something like that?" Caluan Ematt questioned._

" _So that resources would not be lost later," Lelouch said through gritted teeth, "and it is the reason that she has managed every other battle with total victory."_

" _This is not the strategy the Order has employed in the past," the Commander stated roughly, "How did she learn this?"_

" _Larissa spent ten years on Britannia, under the tutelage of Schneizel el Britannia, who is considered to be the best strategist that Britannia had ever seen, and Larissa is one of the most intuitive and brilliant person that I have known, her powers notwithstanding. It's not surprising that she's managed to absorb Schneizel's knowledge and use it as she has." Lelouch paused, and an unwilling smile lit on his lips. "I dare say that she has even improved on what she has learned. It's the reason she continues to win, the reason why none have been able to stop her. They simply don't know how."_

_Commander Caluan Ematt had snorted then, looking disgruntled. "Is there anything that Prince didn't teach her?"_

" _Mercy," Lelouch said simply, and everyone fell silent._

* * *

 I sat in the white hard chair, holding a glass of clear liquid in my hand. Across from me sat a nervous statesman from planet in the Castia cluster, his pale uniform practically blending into the white decor of the room. He was practically vibrating with fear at simply being in the same room as me. There was a time I would have tried to calm him down, give him a sense of peace, but his fear was far more useful to me now. The more unbalanced he was, the easier it would be to get what I needed from him. That didn't stop me from exchanging pleasantries to keep up appearances.

"Senator," I said patiently, resisting the urge to smirk, else it would be far too predictable. "There's no need to be so nervous. After all, wasn't it you who I called me?"

"Y-yes," the man stuttered out. "Forgive me Lady Ren."

"Larissa suits me fine," I said dismissively. "Now, I've taken a look at the proposition you were so kind to send me. I'm afraid there are some, problems."

"Wh- what kind of problems?" The man asked nervously.

I paused for a long moment, enough that the man began to shift even more in his chair before I began."Well, for one, I don't see any further provisions provided by your new government for the First Order. You wouldn't be taking advantage of the First Order's generous offer to place your government in control of this quadrant?"

The poor man paled even more. "N-no! We wouldn't-"

"Because if you were," I continued cutting him off like he hadn't spoken in the first place. "I would have to tell that the First Order does not take kindly to being used. I need not remind you of what happened to the last system who made that mistake."

The Senator was silent for a few moments, his fear getting the better of his voice. "What is it- you require of us in return?"

Finally, we were getting somewhere. "You will give us every known location of Resistance outposts in your cluster, as well as every government and official known to be harboring them, including any members of your own government."

"That is, a significant request," The Senator replied hesitantly. He was close, he just needed a little push.

"But Senator, we'll be doing all the hard work, we just need the specific information necessary for out targeting systems. You don't even have to lift a finger."

"None of the bloodshed will be on our hands?" he asked quietly. Oh this was far too easy, offering to do their dirty work. People like this Senator and his government were a dime a dozen. The moment a scapegoat for their guilt was offered, they latched onto it like a life preserver.

"Of course not," I said with a soft porcelain smile. "We wouldn't dream of making you do something so, uncomfortable." And it would be far too much of a liability to have their soldiers do the work. They could miss a Resistance member, or worse, let one go, and then I'd have to track them doing and that would be a waste of my time. Better to be sure now that to regret it later.

"I believe we could provide that information," The Senator finally said reluctantly. "As long as you can deliver on what you have promised.

"Do you doubt the First Order's ability?" I asked softly, raising an eyebrow.

"No," The Senator said quickly. "I have no doubt you are able to provide what you have asked."

"Excellent," I replied, satisfied he was now quite where I wanted him. "Now that, that little unpleasantness is out of the way, there are a few more things I would like to discuss."


	2. Coups, Allies, and Foes

The rest of said details took no more than an hour and I finally was able to leave through the same secret tunnels that I'd been escorted through when I'd arrived a few hours earlier. At least this government knew a thing or two about secrecy. That was going to be very necessary in coming weeks if everything was going to go according to plan.

Once I was back in my unmarked ship, I turned on the engine with a practiced ease, flipping through the flight control systems in preparation for take off. Once I was granted access to leave, I flew the craft out of the underground hangar and out into the open air. As I broke the upper atmosphere and engaged the hyperdrive, I sat back in my chair and reached out to my brother's mind.

" _ **Larissa?"**_ His smooth deep voice echoed throughout my mind, and I smiled at the warmth in his presence.

" _ **Hi,"**_ I replied softly, a smile lighting up my face. " _ **I just finished negotiations. Should be back on the base in about thirty minutes. Come and meet me?"**_

" _ **Nothing could keep me away,"**_ He replied swiftly. " _ **I'll see you soon."**_

The connection between us faded into the back of my mind and I sat and enjoyed the silence of hyperspace. Even though I tried very hard not to, it was hard not to think of my father in moments like this, the silence of space and hyperspeed. I could understand why my father had spent so much time here out here in space. There was something about the emptiness around me that I found peace in, especially with the bustling minds in the First Order's base. There was something about the way the Order "trained" their soldiers, the blank minds it produced, and the numbers of them in thousands, put a pressure on the Force that often left me dreary, and the time alone in space like this was better than hours of meditation on that busy planet. It's part of the reason I'd been rather excited when the Senator from the Castia cluster had asked that I come alone.

Though the large amount of empty minds did fill my mind with enough so that I didn't have much time to dwell on what I'd done. I didn't regret my choice, but to be entirely honest, I also hadn't really had time to regret anything, and nor did I have luxury. I had given the First Order every victory I could, and quite honestly proving my loyalty on many occasions. Honestly, I'd found and executed more Resistance members in the past six months than they'd found in ten years. Although, much to my chagrin, and I had yet to get close to Luke Skywalker. That was going to take more planning. The Supreme Leader seemed impressed by my work so far, so I suppose the true test of faith could wait a while longer, or at least as I long as I continued to bring new quadrants under the wing of the First Order.

I thought it funny, how often in Pendragon I'd wished to fly as far away as I could, and now I actually had my own ship with the best upgraded systems the First Order had to offer. I could fly anywhere I wanted to with this ship, and it was completely unmarked as I'd requested so it wouldn't be recognized as a First Order ship. Yet, despite all of this, I was still flying back to the Order. I had nearly all the freedom I'd begged and prayed for on Pendragon, yet the First Order was where I was going was where I wanted to be most.

The control's notification that I was coming on my destinations. I pulled out of hyperspace onto a large planet, surrounded by smaller moons. The surface of the planet was covered in dull grey metal, as were many of the smaller moons surrounding it. What little surface of the large planet remained from the plates of metal, was covered in snow. I'd heard from spatterings of conversation from stormtroopers that the previous starkiller base had been on an icy planet as well. There was something about planets like this, the always near freezing temperature that allowed for the Order's technology to work more efficiently. The First Order had gone through great pains to insure that secret was kept. It had been silly though, that they thought they could keep it from me. I wasn't going to let information get past me.

I'd lived too long on Pendragon to let anything slip past me.

Once I was given permission to land, I guided the ship into the special section of the planet that was designated for the Knights of Ren. Once inside, I shut down the ship and opened the bay door, slipping on the heavy black cloak to keep me warm. Even inside the base, the planet's chill often easily permeated the metal walls, especially in the hangar bays. When I stepped outside the ship, he was waiting for me, a small contingent of techs ready to assess my ship and maintain my ship as necessary. They all gave me a small bow of respect as they passed me, but I mostly ignored them and walked straight to my brother.

"Hello," I said conversationally.

"Lyssa," He replied, and though his voice lacked his usual affection, I could feel the relief and warmth coming from him. "Was your trip successful?"

"Very," I replied. "Will you walk me to the debriefing room? I'd like to update the generals on the status of the Castia cluster."

Kylo turned the side, "After you." What he didn't say came through our connection a moment later. " _ **Hurry. I want you all to myself. You've been away for too long.**_ "

" _ **Patience,**_ " I sent back, though the ghost of a smile lit my lips. First I had to deal with the generals before I could indulge some much needed pleasure.

* * *

 

" _You are confident that you've secured the Castia cluster?_ " General Hortgath asked, the seated hologram flickering ever-so-slightly.

"The pieces are already in place for a coup, and the Senator of one of their largest moons has enough pull to complete the coup with limited interference from us." I replied, trying not to feel like I was droning, especially consider this was the second time I'd explained this. "They've already given us a list confirming the other planets and moons known to be supporting the Resistance as a sign of good faith, and will provide specific names once their government is completely in power."

" _How long do estimate the coup will take?_ " General Rivera asked, her voice as sharp as the pointed shoulder blades she wore.

"No more than two months," I replied with assurance. "Less with the more personal provided by us."

"And if this Senator and his government decide _not_ to play by your rules?" So finally General Hux decided to open his mouth. At least he did himself the favor of asking a decent question instead glowering like a child that had had his favorite toy taken away.

"Then I have more than enough evidence to present to his government's competition who will be more than willing to step up just spite them." I shrugged dismissively. "I have contingencies in place. The Castia Cluster will be in the First Order's control within the next few months."

" _Well, once again we congratulate you on your efficiency._ " Hortgath inclined head at me. " _I will contact the Supreme Leader concerning your request for more personal regarding the Castia Cluster._ "

"Thank you General," I smiled, and held it until after him, and the remaining generals disappeared as well.. For a moment Hux and I sat silently in our respective seats, and if anyone had been in the room, they wouldn't have had to be a Jedi to feel the mutual hatred between us. Finally though, Hux stood from his seat and walked out. He never spoke to me unless he had to, but to be honest, I really didn't care. As much as Hux may have hated how quickly the Supreme Leader had declared me an ally and given me a rather nice chunk of power and resources, Hux wasn't smart enough make a successful plant to push me out of power. I was also slowly gaining more support among the generals, and as much as Hux would have liked to believe he was beholden to no one but the Supreme Leader, at least half of the Order wasn't directly controlled by Hux himself, instead by the other ranking generals. Hux merely fancied himself special because he always spoke to the Supreme Leader on behalf of the generals, so the others rarely saw Snoke at all, with the except of Hortgath.

I'd also like to think that my brother, for all their feuding, also gave him pause. Despite "his" army, he did _not_ want to be on the bad side of us. I sat there for a moment more before a gloved hand rested on my shoulder, and I felt my brother's presence behind me. I looked up and gave him a real, warm smile. It didn't matter what I had to deal with, as long as my brother was by my side.

"Come," he said softly. "Let's go home."


	3. A New Mission

I settled into Kylo's arms, enjoying the warmth from his presence. "I didn't like you going alone," He whispered into my ear, gracing it with a gentle kiss.

"You know that no one could have touched me," I said dismissively, though his touches made me smile, "and I needed to bring in another quadrant. My position here isn't settled yet, and none of your tantrums are going to help."

"I do not throw tantrums," Kylo said petulantly.

"Now," I conceded with a grin. With a low growl, he grabbed my shoulder suddenly and flipped me onto my back even as I laughed giddily, my legs getting tangled up in the sheets. He pinned my arms above my head, sliding his fingertips along my bare skin. His body was on top of mine, pressing me into the bed, and I could feel every line of his body against mine. He looked beautiful, the light low light casting shadows across his face that lit up his wide mischievous grin, making the scar across his face look quite roguish.

He leaned forward and nipped at my lips. "Apologize," he commanded softly. I smiled and leaned up and tried to catch his lips, but he moved away. He was teasing me. Fine, two could play at that game. I slipped a fabric covered leg between his thighs and pressed up when I found the familiar hardness. A shudder ran through his body, and Kylo's eyes lit up, and his hands loosened their grip-

I grabbed his leg between my two and used my leverage to flip him over, until I was perched lightly on top of his chest. The look on his face was far too amusing, and so I leaned down and kissed him gently, savoring the taste of him and the feeling of his tongue in my mouth. I finally sat up, breathing hard, a breathless smile lighting up his face.

"Apology accepted?" I asked.

He grinned and wrapped a hand around my neck and pulled me back down. "Only," he said between kisses on my lips. "If you never- stop." He lay me gently on the bed this time, sliding the sheet from my body and sucking at the hollow of neck, making me tremble as I slipped my finger into his silky hair.

"Never," I gasped.

* * *

A gentle beeping roused me from my sleep. I worked my way blearily from my brother's arms and tapped on the console next to the bed.

**The Supreme Leader requests your presence.**

"What is it?" Kylo asked next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist, trying blearily to tug me back into bed.

"The Supreme Leader wants to see me," I said with a groan.

"Now?" Kylo sounded as annoyed as I felt. I leaned over and gave him a soft kiss.

"I'll be back soon, promise." I quickly got out of bed and padded over to the door separating our two rooms. It was necessary, to keep up appearances like this. Neither Kylo nor I wanted anyone to have leverage over us, but the Supreme Leader had granted us an entire wing to house the Knights of Ren, complete with our own holoroom. It appeared as though he wanted to keep our secret as much as we did. I quickly slipped on a bustier and underwear, and after debating for a moment in front of my considerably more diverse wardrobe, I decided it would be easier just to wear a dress. After I'd slipped it on, I took a moment to brush my hair out with my fingers. I didn't bother with shoes, it was close enough, and I was used to the cold metal floors by now.

I walked quickly through the halls to the holoroom, opened the door with a wave of my hand. The old, shrouded figure of Supreme Leader Snoke sat in the same chair as before, with a matching chair and small table replicated into reality next to him.

"Supreme Leader," I said quietly, inclining my head. Though in public and with the others, it was customary to bow, The Supreme Leader seemed to sensed my distaste of the gesture, and waived the protocol for our meetings alone, much like he presented his hologram and much closer to his real size than the giant image he projected to everyone else. I still kept the respectful distance of course, and waited to approach the dais until Snoke extended a hand and waved me forward.

" _Larissa_ ," The Supreme Leader said as I settled into my chair. " _You've been quite extraordinary according to the generals' reports. You should be celebrating by bringing yet another quadrant into our fold._ "

"I wouldn't celebrate quite yet, at least not until everything is finished," I replied with a small smile. "But yes, I am happy with the progress I've made. Though I suspect that's not the reason you've asked my here."

" _Perceptive_ ," The Supreme Leader said appreciatively, " _But you are- correct. I've asked you here to speak about your outstanding mission._ "

My breath halted slightly. My "test of faith" as Snoke had called it, to kill Luke Skywalker. To be honest, I'd been focusing most of my energy on turning quadrants, and expanding the First Order's empire. I hadn't really focused on my uncle for several reasons, the main one being that there was no way I could get close to Luke, not without risk.

"You'll have to forgive me, Supreme Leader, but I've not made significant progress on that," I said haltingly.

" _I disagree_ ," The Supreme Leader replied. " _With every world we take under our fold, the Resistance grows weaker, and the curtain that Luke Skywalker hides behind lifts a little more._ "

"Supreme Leader, you know that I cannot kill him, if I can't get to him," I said plainly, "and Luke Skywalker is staying behind the Resistance because he knows that I can't-" I stopped.

" _You are not yet strong enough to face your mother,_ " I couldn't hide much from this man, " _and you have been smart not only acknowledging your limits, but also in weakening the Resistance. But there is another we can end Luke Skywalker without you facing your mother quite yet._ "

I was surprised. I hadn't been able to think of a way to lure Luke out, at least not without my mother following him. "What do you have in mind?"

" _You are familiar with the legend of the First Jedi Temple._ "

"That it was where the first Jedi used to harness the force," I recalled, remembering the large library in the Temple, reading through the scrolls about the legends of the Jedi.

" _The First Jedi Temple is more than that,_ " Snoke said. " _It is this world's connection to the Force. It is the reason why the Jedi are impossible to destroy, because they are still linked to the temple._ "

It took me a moment to realize the implications of what he was suggesting. "Are you saying that if we take the the First Jedi Temple, we'll control this world's connection the Force?" I paused for a moment, following that train of thought, "And if we take the Temple, Luke Skywalker will have to try and take the temple back. He will come to us."

" _Precisely,_ " Snoke replied.

"How do I find the Temple?" I asked quickly.

" _I will leave that in your capable hands. There are series of ancient scrolls that I possess. They will be arriving at your location. Your task will be to locate the temple by any means. Your brother and the Knights of Ren are to be at your disposal, but I must warn you, the closer you get to temple, the more likely it will be that Luke Skywalker will sense your presence._ "

"I understand," I replied, then paused. This meeting had gone much better than I expected, and I didn't want to leave the Supreme Leader annoyed at me. "What about the other quadrants?"

" _General Hux will continue with your work._ "

"Supreme Leader, I apologize if this is out of place, but I don't believe that General Hux has the capability or the patience necessary to complete this task."

The Supreme Leader looked at me for a moment, considering. " _That is out of place,_ " The Supreme Leader said, " _But you may be correct in your observations. I will speak with Hux personally._ "

"Of course," I replied quickly, deferring out of the conversation. "Is there anything else?"

" _No,_ " Snoke replied. " _I trust that you won't fail._ "

"You know I won't."


	4. Friends Close, Enemies Closer

"You left without your escort," Phasma said critically as she entered the large common area that I was currently holed up in, scrolls surrounding me as I looked meticulously through the information, looking for something, anything that would point me in the right direction.

"It was a secret mission, which by definition required me to be alone," I murmured, mostly ignoring her, "And take off the mask, you don't need it here." There was another pause, before Phasma finally slipped off her mask and set it rather sensibly away from the fragile scrolls.

"It is my job to see to your security," Phasma replied stoutly, "and going off to a potential enemy homeworld without notifying me in any way prevents me from doing my job."

"And yet if I died, it would solve all your problems, now wouldn't it?"

"The Supreme Leader has selected me to protect you when you cannot," Phasma said firmly. "And it would be against my reputation if you died." I smiled, despite myself. In reality, it actually hadn't been the Supreme Leader who'd assigned her to my detail. I'd asked for her personally. The conversation itself had been very interesting, to the say the least.

* * *

_I was standing in the corridor, waiting as stormtrooper after stormtrooper passed me, until the final silver clad trooper finally walked out. She stopped when she saw me, and I felt a particular kind of fear pass through her. I inclined my head at her, gesturing to an empty corridor to the right. I turned around without another glance. After a second, I felt her follow me._

" _Hello again, Phasma," I said cordially._

" _Lady Ren," Phasma ground out, and I could feel her rage. It was quite impressive, but was more impressive was her restraint._

" _There's no need for such formalities," I said airly. "Call me Larissa." She chose not to answer, anything to that, but the rage still boiled inside of her, I pushed into her mind a little more, and was surprised to find the remnants of my Jedi push still lodged in her mind. Apparently my brother hadn't managed to dig it all out, and she'd been taken off of her leadership duties because I'd compromised her. "I can remove the rest of the push." I finally said, finding the perfect excuse to get her alone. "Get out what my brother couldn't."_

_She stood stock still, her entire form freezing with surprise._

" _Why?" Phasma finally asked._

" _Because it's a shame that a someone as talented you as been kicked to the side because of my decisions," I replied with a shrug, "and I've got an opportunity to get you back on top. Interested?"_

_Phasma considered me for a moment more, before gesturing to me to follow her down another corridor. I followed her, glancing at the doors of living quarters. When we finally reached the end of the hall, Phasma opened the door and shifted to the side, allowing me to go first. The room inside was small, compact, efficient. There was a small thin bed on one side, and the bare bath essentials on the other. Though it was compact, I knew it was rare for a stormtrooper to have quarters alone, which alone showed her ranking. Once the door was closed I watched with interest as she slipped off the silver mask and tossed it on the straight lined covers, mussing the flat covers._

" _I'm sorry if this room isn't up to your standards, Larissa," Phasma said, though she didn't sound sorry in the slightest._

_I chuckled softly. "I may have spent the last ten years in a palace, but trust me when I say it was nothing more than prison with gilded bars. Now, sit." Phasma moved, but slowly. She was wary of me, and though I admired her caution, this was taking too long. With quick movements, I pulled the black sabers from my belt and tossed them next to her on the bed. I could still call them at a moment's notice if I needed to, but the fact that I was not at least physically armed seemed to calm Phasma down enough to sit on the bed, her silver armor creaking slightly._

_I stepped closer to her and slipped off my gloves and placed them on the bed as well. As I touched her temples, I murmured, "Now please stay still. If I concentrate, this shouldn't hurt at all."_

" _Your brother's interrogations aren't always as such," Phasma murmured back, and my lips twisted in a smile._

" _Yes well they are interrogations," I said lightly, "and my brother's always been a little bit of a sadist."_

_Without further conversation, I gently pushed into Phasma's mind, going past the natural Force surrounding her mind, and digging deeper. It took no more than a moment to find the thoughts I'd pushed into her mind. With a quick concentrated pull, I released the contained Force and allowed it to dissipate. As I pulled out of her mind, I pulled back the invisible strands that had been gathering information from her mind and memories. It had taken a couple tries to get it right, once I'd started experimenting, but now I was confident with concentration I could get into anyone's mind with little to no awareness from the subject. My purpose here, though was a test, was also because I had to make sure Phasma was the right choice for what I needed her to do. If I chose wrong, it could jeopardize everything. But as I pulled out her mind completely and gave her a smile, I knew I didn't need to be worried. She was going to be perfect._

_I leaned down and slipped my gloves back on. "You said you were here for another reason," Phasma said, a question cleverly hidden within her words._

" _I want to offer you a, position," I said with a smirk. "The Supreme Leader believes that I need a protection detail, even though both you and I know exactly what I can do. I'd like you to lead the detail."_

_Surprise flashed across the woman's face. "You want me to protect you?"_

" _After a fashion," I conceded. To be honest I doubted there was anything a guard of stormtroopers could do that I couldn't, but I wasn't exactly in a position to deny the Supreme Leader much._

" _Why would you choose me?" She questioned, "I-"_

" _Hate me?" I replied with half-smile. "Well for one, you know my powers, intimately, so there won't any need for an extraneous trial run for you and your troopers to determine exactly how much protection I'm going to need." She was silent, and her face burrowed as she thought hard._

" _I don't trust you," She finally admitted._

_I merely smiled and walked toward the door, only turning around to say. "There was saying on Pendragon, 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' I'm justing waiting for you to figure out which is which." I waved my hand and my sabers flew back into their holsters, settling comfortably against my thighs. "I'll be expecting you tomorrow in the Knight's of Ren complex, with your candidate files for my protection detail."_

_I walked out of her room without another word, confident in her answer._

* * *

The first few days had been rough, and to be honest, Phasma was taking her job far more seriously than had I initially anticipated. It was starting to grate on my nerves. Phasma honestly wanted to keep me alive. That was annoying. I'd honestly been planning for the opposite. I glanced up a Phasma, internally groaning when I was she was still standing.

"Honestly, sit down," I finally said, glancing up from the alien writing.

"What did you call me in here for?" Phasma finally asked, still standing.

"Well," I said distractedly. "The Supreme Leader had given me a new directive. I thought as my head of security you should know. Now _sit_." It wasn't a suggestion, and Phasma seemed to sense my waning patience, and quickly sat in one of the free armchairs. There were a few minutes of silence as I read through the old archives files.

"What is the new directive?" Phasma asked hesitantly.

"The Supreme Leader has asked me to find the First Jedi temple," I said with chagrin, throwing a scroll down, "and at the moment, I am no closer to finding it that I was five hours ago." I glanced up at her. "But's that the not point. The point is, is that these resources are only going to get me so far. Eventually I'm going to need to do research outside of this place, but I'll be limited to the places I can go if I have an entire squad of stormtroopers following me." I leaned forward. "You know what I can do. I will be fine out there on my own. If I can find it, of course."

"Why is this so important?" She asked, picking up a scroll.

"Are you questioning the will of the Supreme Leader?" I asked, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh don't look so terrified, it's a good question. You have good instincts, even with your 'training'." I continued without pausing so she wouldn't have time to answer. "The First Jedi Temple is rumored to hold the connection of the Force in our world, and if we take it, then Luke Skywalker will have to come to us."

"How can you be sure he don't already know where it is?"

"If he knows where the temple is and had told the Resistance about, we would have caught on our monitors. So either he still has no idea, or he does and he's keeping the location hidden. Either way, it works out for us."

"Because if he doesn't know we can still find it," Phasma said slowly, "and if he hasn't told anyone about it, then it still gives us time to find it before it becomes heavily defended."

"Exactly," I replied.

"Then why aren't you looking for where Luke Skywalker has been?"

"Luke Skywalker is a Jedi, who can cover his tracks, at least on the surface." I sighed. "If I'm going to have to find the trail before I can pick up on it, and to do that, I have to figure out where the trail starts." I continued. "Look, you don't need to be here for this. I'll let you know when I plan on leaving the base, I promise." I picked up my tablet and started rifling through the notes that I already made. I was currently looking at parchments from the Original Republic, when the Jedi's were just beginning to build their own organization, during the first war with the Sith.

My current theory was that the original masters must have known where the First Temple of the Jedi was located, that they themselves must have trained there before they offered themselves to the Old Republic to help fight the Sith. I was looking through the logs of the Old Republic, copies of the original transcripts of the meetings between the Republic governors and the Jedi. I was hoping that I might find some reference or mention to another base or world that might lead me to another set of clues. I wasn't stupid enough to believe that the Jedi would have just given away the location in one of these meetings, but what I _was_ looking for was references or mentions to places I could trace today. Unfortunately, I was already halfway through the transcripts, and had yet to find anything meaningful.

A rustling of paper in front of my made me snap my gaze up. Phasma had taken off her gloves and was sitting in the chair, holding a new scroll her hand, reading intently. She seemed to finally realize I was staring and looked up, shrugging as she unclipped the black cloak from her shoulders. "The sooner you complete your tasks, the less I have to worry about you getting hurt."

I considered her for a second before I tossed her my tablet.


	5. Useful Skills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, just a head's up that I'll be switch POV's more often in this story.

Rey was bored.

She, however was sure that if she stepped outside of the room she'd been given, that she wouldn't be bored in the slightest. Just the very way this base-ship was constructed fascinated to her. It was unlike anything she'd ever scavenged on. Rey supposed that was because the Britannian system was so isolated, that it's technology had advanced so differently from the rest of the galaxy. A part of Rey was itching to get her hands on it, to take it apart and see what made it tick. However, Master Luke had asked that she stay in her room, and so, for the past six months, every time she'd visited with Master Luke, she stayed in the room.

She had just gotten to the point where a part of her wanted to start hitting the walls simply to change what they looked like. She was going stir-crazy. This was worse than Jakku. At least on Jakku she knew there was nothing to do. She'd meditated all she could. She'd even resorted to pacing, slowly wearing a line into the floor. Just as she made another round in the floor, the door slide open and she turned around to see a young woman with bright red hair spiked up around her head and a tight flight suit that was similar shade of her hair.

Her name was Kallen, Rey recalled, the same woman who'd wrestled Finn to the ground after Rey and Luke had failed to take down Kylo Ren, and inadvertently injured his twin, as Rey had been surprised to find out. To be honest, Rey had admired the way Kallen had studious defended Larissa, up until the news of her turn. Even then, she was sure that Kallen still supported Larissa, though perhaps not her choices. Rey kind of admired that loyalty, but she'd never voice it, especially to a woman she barely knew.

"Hello," Rey said neutrally, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," the red haired girl shortly. "So Poe says you're a good mechanic."

"I'll have to thank him for the compliment," Rey acknowledged, though choosing not to confirm or deny the statement.

Kallen pursed her lips, as if she'd been expecting the answer, but it pissed her off anyways. "Look," she ground out. "We need your help. We're having trouble keeping the knightmare's pressurized with the new circuit interfaces. Plus I know you've been dying to get your hands on a knightmare frame, I can see it in your eyes. So can you please come take a look?"

Rey crossed her arms and considered the female pilot. "What about the orders your commander issued?" Rey finally asked, referring to the orders that Leia was still trying to figure out how they'd been missed so thoroughly by her people.

"As long as you stay with me, you'll be fine," Kallen replied dismissively. "You can even bring your lightsaber." Kallen turned around and started walking toward the door, only turning back when she was just past the threshold. "You coming or what?"

After another second of consideration, Rey grabbed her bag, which still contained the blue lightsaber and her old scavenging tools and followed after the pilot.

* * *

"Rey, there you are!" Poe waved over the Rey as she followed Kallen into a large hangar bay, much larger than anything she'd ever seen before, even on the old Empire ships. After a moment Rey understood why. Poe was standing next to a giant metal machine shaped like a man, one of only many in the hangar. The machine was dark grey, with bulky legs and arms, two giant blasters at each side, the cockpit protruding out from back of machine. Rey stopped and marveled at the machine. It was far more incredible that she had imagined. Part of her wished she had her climbing apparatus so she could get a closer look at the joints of the machine, see how it worked intimately.

Poe shook her out of her stare with a pat on the back, "Incredible, isn't it? They haven't let me fly one yet, but I bet it moves like a dream."

"Just cause you're a hotshot pilot does not mean you've got the skills to fly a knightmare," Kallen replied. She turned to Rey and gestured the knightmare. "This is called a Burai, one of the few models completely created on the Japa moons. It's our most standard model.

"And you're trying to pressurize the cockpit for space travel, correct?"

"Yeah, but we're have a problem with the knightmare's power source," Poe finished, scratching his head.

If Poe was having trouble with the power source, it must be very different from the models that the Resistance used. "How is the power source different?" Rey asked.

"It's powered by an element we call sakuradite," Kallen said, "It unique to this solar system." Rey nodded slowly. It would make sense that a technology unique to this solar system would also possess something unique to their solar system.

"The system they're using, though contained, isn't pressurized for space." Poe continued.

"And you're not sure if you can contain it without rendering it useless?" Rey guessed.

"Pretty much," Poe said with a shrug. "Finn told me about some of your time on Jakku, I figured you'd be the best person here to tinker inside of it, see if you can figure out."

Rey was already moving forward to the feet of the giant knightmare, looking underneath the plates of armor. "Get me a rig." Rey finally said, slipping off her bag and dropping it on the floor.

* * *

Two hours later Rey was waist deep inside of the knightmare looking at the Sakuradite core. It was impressive. It put out the strength of a hyperdrive, but in such a way that it instead powered the massive and complex circuits of the knightmare. However, the knightmare also required a secondary power source that acted as a spark to the sakuradite core. Rey really wanted to see how an active knightmare frame would function, but she also knew that it would be a bad idea to be the core when it went active. She tugged on the rope wrapped around her waist and she was pulled back out onto the deck.

"So?" Poe asked, "what do you think?"

"You're right," Rey said, "Containment is going to be a problem."

"Any ideas?" Kallen asked.

"I'll have to take a look at the plans." Rey wiped off the grime on her pants, then she looked at Kallen. "Is this the newest model you have?"

"No," Kallen said, a question in her eyes, "My knightmare, the Guren Mk II is the newest generation."

"But that's a specialty knightmare, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Is this the newest mass produced model?" Rey continued.

"No," Kallen said stiffly, "Britannian's have those. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Rey explained, "The containment system, it seems like it would work better if you did pressurize like it would have to be in space. I was wondering if they fixed in the next generation, because if they did then it might be easier to fix it in your models if you've got something to start from."

"I'll let Rakshata know," Kallen said quickly. "Maybe we might be able to get a partial spec." She went toward the stairs, but then turned around and said, "Thanks Rey." Rey was about to answer back when the alarms sounded all over the hangar. "Oh shit," Kallen hissed, and Rey had no illusions about what those alarms meant. Kallen ran down the stairs and Rey and Poe followed after her.

"Who is it?" Poe asked quickly. "The First Order?"

"No," Kallen hissed. "It's Britannian Forces." She clicked on another link. "Zero, it's Kallen, what do you want me to do?"

" _ **Exploratory forces. You need to destroy them before they can return. Rakshata has already blocked their signal.**_ "

"I need pilots, can you send me a squad?"

" _ **Not enough time**_."

"Damn it," Kallen snapped, then glanced at Rey and Poe. "Do you really think you can fly a knightmare frame?"

Poe grinned. "Only one way to find out."

Kallen groaned. "I was afraid you were going to say that."


	6. Skirmishes and Promises

" **Okay the controls are simple. The toggles move the arms up and down, red button fires the guns, and purple buttons fire the grapplers. Don't worry about the other controls, just stay on the ground and cover me, okay?** " Kallen's voice filtered through the com system in Rey's earpiece as the cockpit of the knightmare closed around her. The barrage of controls looked ominous, even more so than those of the Falcon, but Rey did as she was told and ignored them. The knightmare was already on some kind of ejection system, so Rey hoped she wouldn't have to trigger that part.

" **How do we get out of the ship**?" Poe's voice filtered through the comm link. "

" **Just sit back and let the ejection do it's work. It's already calibrated to land close to the ground troops**."

"What about you?" Rey asked as she made sure the knightmare was fully charged and fully loaded. This really was complicated, and she wondered not for the first time if this system would work much better with a co-pilot.

" **I'll be right behind you, I promise. Now let's go kick some ass!"**

"May the Force guide us," Rey whispered, and then she was thrust back into her seat as the ejection system did it's work and threw the metal machine out of the mountain ship. On the sensors she saw another knightmare frame alongside her that she could only assume to be Poe. Her knightmare frame hit the ground hard, but Rey was ready this time. She could see the enemy knightmare frames ahead of her, turning toward as she came on their radar. With a push of the controls the knightmare shot forward, and Rey used the momentum to surprise the Britannian forces, firing at the enemy knightmares. They scattered, and weren't able to regroup because Poe flew past her then, moving faster than Rey had even considered going.

" **Man these things can move!** " Poe shouted through her comm link. " **Come on Rey, you're missing all the fun!** "

Rey moved forward then to engage a knightmare. Despite the complexities of the frame, once she got her hands on the controls, it was easy to to move the metal limbs like they were simply extensions of her own. After looking at the Burai models, it was easy to pinpoint the weak spots in her adversary's knightmare. She tried to do as little damage as possible to the knightmare, but by the time she'd done enough damage to stop the knightmare, the sakuradite core exploded, leaving nothing but a giant flaming hunk of metal. The next two knightmares, however, were much more cautious, and Rey was having trouble shaking them off when suddenly another knightmare appeared on her screen coming from behind them. Rey didn't need to reach out to the Force to know who it was. It was Kallen. Her knightmare was red, with energy-like wings arching from the back, and the right metal hand was silver, with claw-like tips. The knightmare moved insanely fast, streaking across the sky and destroying the two knightmares in front of Rey in a blink.

" **Hey, sorry I'm late!** " Kallen said. " **Just hunker down and keep me covered.** "

"Will do," Rey said, and aimed the gun at the small remaining five or six knightmares. She started firing at the knightmares to keep them confused. Poe quickly followed suit and Kallen swooped down and started picking off the enemy knightmares. Finally there was only one left. Kallen swooped down and grasped the head of the knightmare in her silver clawed fingers.

"Wait!" Rey said, "We need the knightmare to study. Try not to damage it."

" **Making no promises,** " Kallen replied, but she moved back and raised her hand again. A wave came from the clawed hand and it knocked the purple knightmare, and it quickly shut down, a lifeless piece of metal.

" **I shut down all it's systems. It's not going anywhere. I've already contacted Rakshata. Her team will come pick it up. Come on let's head back**."

" **Kallen you have got to let me try flying that knightmare sometimes.** "

" **In your dreams Poe Dameron.** "

Rey smiled at the exchange between between the two. For some reason, she liked how natural it felt. The only person that was missing was Finn. He was still distrustful of Kallen, and nothing Rey or Finn had said had been able to change that. If Rey was going to be spending more time here, she wanted to try and fix this wedge between them. Larissa was complicated issue, but the more time Rey spent with Kallen, the more she was convinced that there still might be hope, that might there might still be Light still in her, that she could still come back,

" **Rey, you alright?** " Kallen asked.

"I'm fine," Rey replied switching her knightmare around. "Let's get back to the ship."

" **I'll lead you guys to the entrance to the hangar. Just stay close to me, in case we missed any stragglers.** "

The ride back to the hidden base was quick and short. Rey sensed the tunnel before she could see it, and was able to easily guide her knightmare into the opening. Poe's entrance was a little less smooth, but soon both of the knightmares were back in their storage positions. Rey turned off the knightmare and grabbed the key Kallen had thrown at her a few minutes before. She climbed easily out of cockpit and hopped onto the metal rail. She got down to the floor just before Poe did. When Rey saw Kallen she was grinning broadly. She clapped a hand on Rey's shoulder.

"You were great!" Kallen said, glancing at Poe. "You too Dameron. Keep up moves like that, and you might get a specialty knightmare after all."

"If we can get it fixed I'll help you build it myself," Poe said jovially. Rey smiled and opened her mouth to answer back when she felt a presence behind her.

It was Master Luke.

She grimaced, and was surprised at the look of concern on Kallen's face. "What's-" She began, but her her darkened when she glanced around Rey. Though Rey found it curious that Kallen reacted in such a way around her master, she was more concerned that she had disobeyed her Master's wishes. She turned around to face the entrance of the hangar bay. Leia was rushing forward, one of her her lieutenants next to her. Just behind her were several Black Knight's attendants, followed by a dark skinned woman wearing a lab coat. Behind them was Zero. Rey had to admit that the entire ensemble that he wore, from rounded helmet to the purple jacket and pants was impressive, doing quite the same job Kylo Ren's mask had done, without the rough edges. It gave off a sense of authority, without being over-imposing. Even the helmet worked in his favor, doing far more than simply hiding his true face.

Rey's gaze, however, focused on Luke Skywalker, whose face looked particularly grim, but Leia got to her first, and Rey was momentarily saved from his disappoints.

"We heard what happened," Leia said quickly. "Are you three alright?"

"We're totally fine General," Poe said, grinning. "Rey and I were just testing out the knightmares."

Zero turned to Kallen. "Kallen?" Zero asked expectantly, and Rey was surprised to notice that she seemed to sense a bit of amusement from him, and not the disappointment clear from her Master's presence.

Rey glanced at Kallen who just shrugged, as if she had nothing to apologize for. "Rey and Poe were checking out the knightmares, and you couldn't get me pilots in time, and I needed cover."

"I thought Rey was supposed to stay in her room?" Leia asked looking at Zero first, then at Luke.

"I asked her here," Kallen cut in quickly. "Poe said that she had some good instincts with machines so I thought it couldn't hurt for her to take a look. She might have found something."

"Really?" Zero asked, sounding pleasantly surprised. His masked face turned toward Rey. "What did you find?"

"It's the containment system your knightmares used for your sakuradite cores," Rey said slowly, working through the new vocabulary, "In their current configuration, it won't be possible to pressurize and seal it for space travel." There was a rush of disappointment through the crowd, and Rey felt compelled to add, "However, I think it might have been corrected in the new models."

"That's why Rakshata's retrieving the glascow," Kallen pipped in.

"Why should we use Britannian technology?" One Black Knight's member, a woman sniffed. "We should just invent it on our own."

Rey smiled. "All tech is the same just with new packaging, and honestly, if you want these things fast, there's no shame in scavenging." The woman snorted again, but looked a little more reserved when Zero turned to gaze at her for a second before turning back to Rey.

"Thank you for the information Rey," Zero said earnestly.

"You're welcome," Rey replied with a smile.

With nothing more to say, Zero and the other Black Knights moved toward the middle of the hangar bay. Leia followed after them, but not before giving Rey a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. Luke had stayed in the back of the group during the short conversation, and he only walked forward when everyone else in the group had moved toward the other knightmares.

"Master I-" Rey began, hoping to get ahead of the reprimand she knew was coming.

"You disobeyed me. I told you to stay in your room," Luke said firmly.

"They needed my experience from Jakku," Rey protested.

"You fought against in the Britannians in a Black Knights machine," Luke said, "and it is the job of a Jedi-"

"-to remain neutral in all conflict," Rey repeated with exasperation. "Yes I know. But these people are supposed to be helping the Resistance beat the First Order, which they're our allies too, and if they're our allies then Britannian is also our foe. We should be helping them."

"No," Luke said harshly. "You will not go into conflict again."

Rey wanted to fight, to say that he was wrong, but she knew this wasn't the place."Yes Master," Rey said, resigning herself to follow his rules, even if she didn't agree with them. It was for the best.

Seeing her acceptance, Luke's face softened. "Now please, go back to your room."

"I'm not sure how to get there," Rey admitted a little sheepishly.

"I'll take you back," Kallen said, coming up next to her then. She nodded to Luke and gave him a tight smile. "Skywalker." She turned back to Rey and her smile warmed slightly, "Come on." Rey smiled gratefully and she and Kallen set off out of the hangar bay. The first few minutes were comfortably silent as they wound their way back through the halls.

"I'm sorry if I got you in trouble," Kallen finally said, glancing at Rey.

"It's alright. We might have gotten your answer." Rey sighed. "It was worth it."

"Seriously though, you've got skills," Kallen said, bumping her shoulder lightly against Rey's. "I was impressed."

Rey glanced at Kallen, and smiled. It was nice, that someone other than Poe or Finn commented on her skills. After so many years on Jakku, the praise felt good. "Thanks. Did you know one time I flew the Millennium Falcon?"

Kallen's eyes lit up. "Seriously? That must have been amazing."

Her smile only lasted for a moment, though, before her face clouded over, and Rey sensed sadness in her. Rey didn't need to read Kallen's mind to know the source, and an unwilling pang of sadness welled in Rey as well, at the thought of the man who had once owned the Falcon. It was not for the first time that Rey felt sorry for those who had come to know and care for Larissa Solo, and for the girl herself. The more she learned about this system and it's woes, the more she felt sorry for the twin of Kylo Ren, for the pain she'd suffered here. It made her sad, that after all she'd accomplished, that she'd turned the Dark Side like she had. It especially troubled Rey that the one time she had seen Larissa, she'd seemed very against the idea of the Dark Side. She hadn't seemed tempted at the time.

If there was a reason that Larissa had chosen the Dark Side under false pretenses, or if her brother or Snoke was coercing her, if there was even the smallest chance that Rey could change her back, she wanted to try. She'd even gone to the extent to ask Luke about her and her brother, trying to learn more about them, but Luke would have none of it, and Rey didn't feel right probing Leia when she seemed so fragile. So if she couldn't get her information about her past, she would have to find it somewhere else. To be honest, though, it made much more sense to find someone who'd known Larissa the past ten years, because Rey could understand just how much ten years could change a person.

When they finally came to the door, Rey turned to Kallen and said as seriously as she could manage, "Kallen, I need your help."

"With what?"

Rey took a deep breath before she answered. "I want to know more about, Larissa."

Kallen's eyes darkened then, and she turned away from Rey. "I'm not betraying her to you or Luke Skywalker."

"No," Rey said quickly. If she didn't assure Kallen she had no intention of telling Luke, she might lose her only chance to know more. "I wouldn't ask that. But I want to help Larissa come back, stop her from hurting anyone else. But I can't do that if I don't know her, how she works, how she thinks. If you can help me understand her, maybe- maybe I can reach her."

Kallen paused for a few moments, her brow furrowing. Rey could "I'm not going to tell you everything. She's got secrets you've no right to know. No matter what she's done."

"I can understand that," Rey nodded sagely, "but anything you can tell me might help me save her."

"I don't if you can," Kallen said honestly, looking at Rey as though she was already regretting even considering the idea.

Rey cocked her head. She couldn't sense anything from Kallen now, and thought she found that odd, she found Kallen's statement even more curious. "Why's that?"

"Cause I've never known Larissa to make a decision she'd regret."


	7. A Clue from the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi everyone! So.... it's been awhile. I know, I'm sorry, but y'know, life happens.  
> Anyways, we're back to the grind again, so let's keep moving, shall we?  
> I've got an extra long chapter for you, so enjoy!

“Four days,” I moaned into the armrest of my chair, resisting the urge to slam my head into the upholstery again. “Four days and we’ve found  _ nothing _ .”

“I thought you were supposed to be more patient that this.” Phasma murmured, offering me another bright fluorescent tube filled with a myriad of alert medications.

“Patience is for a Jedi,” I hissed grumpily, sitting up. “Do I look like I Jedi?” Phasma chose not to answer, and instead sat down again, picking up another scroll and started reading, looking far more comfortable than I felt, and to me she seemed to be practically lounging on the chair, her silver armor discarded for the black under-clothing. I fingered the vial for a moment before setting it down on the table.

The familiar buzz of the alert medications was tempting, especially considering how exhausted I felt, but I’d already taken two of these already and I didn’t want to risk taking anymore. I had decided it wasn’t worth sleeping until I had at least had something to show for my efforts other than a room full of discarded scrolls.

“We’re missing something,” I said frustratedly, raking hand through my hair in frustration. “I can feel it.”

“Are you sure there simply isn’t anything here?” Phasma ventured, glancing up from her scroll. “Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place.”

“Well where else am I supposed to look?” I snapped back. “Thanks to that idiot Palpatine and my grandfather all the Jedi archives have been obliterated. Even if the temple’s location was written down somewhere it was probably destroyed because my grandfather couldn’t keep his damn temper in check!” I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath, realizing very quickly that this line of thought was counter-productive. “I’m sorry, you’re not the one I’m mad at.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you refer to Darth Vader as your flesh and blood before,” Phasma murmured, and I thought I heard a chuckle, though the rare human reaction from the normally stone-faced woman wasn’t quite enough to bring a smile to my lips.

“Well just because I don’t obsessively worship his burnt skull in my quarters doesn’t mean I don’t recognize him as my family.” I winced. I really shouldn’t have said that. “Don’t tell my brother I said that.”

“I swore I’d never do anything to cause you harm,” was all she said before she settled back into her chair.

A smile did finally cross my lips for a moment before it faded, and my mind was unwillingly pulled to Him.

My grandfather. 

I didn’t like to think about him much. After all, what was there to think about that hadn’t already been thought? I never truly blamed Kylo for his choice to to turn to the Dark Side, or his allure to it in the first place. The simple fact I’d chosen the same thing meant I realize wasn’t in any position judge that mistake. And despite my hatred for my uncle, I didn’t really blame him either. This power, this curse, it hadn’t started with my brother or my uncle. Darkness had been in my family long before my brother and I were born. The person who’d started all this, the person who I truly thought was to blame, was my grandfather.

Anakin Skywalker.

Darth Vader.

At least, in all my power, I never believed I could do something as ludicrous as bringing someone back from the dead. Though my abilities had allowed me to push my power beyond limits of the old Jedi, I knew that if I ever became over-confident in my power, it could be my last mistake. I couldn’t afford a mistake like that, not when the consequences of my last mistake had led the to very circumstances that left me where I was now. I wasn’t blind to my grandfather’s choices, I simply chose to ignore them. It would be a waste of time to think of my grandfather, to dwell on a past I couldn’t change. After all, if I did this right, I was going to eclipse him in every way possible. When they talked of him, they were going to remember me first. 

I wasn’t going to be second-rate to anyone,  _ especially _ my grandfather.

“I think- I found something,” Phasma halting words brought out of my daze, and I sat up quickly, scrambling up over to her, only distantly remembering to avoid the ancient scrolls and not destroy them in my rush.

“What did you find?!” I asked quickly, snatching the scroll from her hands.

“I found,” Phasma hissed, snatching the scroll back, but not before giving me supremely dirty look, “a planet name. It’s referenced several times here in connection to a large wealth of knowledge. I’ve check the Order’s databases and the planet is still there, along with their culture. They retreated into solitude after the fall of the Empire. Apparently there was a huge civil war during the years of the Empire, and one of the natural species of the planet was completely wiped out in the war. Apparently the Naboo flooded the oceans with toxins-”

“Wait a moment,” I said haltingly, “wh-what did you say they were called?” Those people- that name- it couldn’t be.

“The Naboo.” Phasma looked up at me. “They live on the planet named after them-”

“Naboo,” I finished, rubbing my temples.

Of course, it had to be Naboo.

It seemed I wasn’t out of my grandfather’s shadow quite yet.

“You know the planet?” Phasma asked, surprised. So she didn’t know all of my family’s history, that was good to know.

“Yes I know it. It was where my grandmother was born.” I heaved a sigh glanced at Phasma, who looked curious, but seemed to realize I wasn’t the mood to explain. “We’ve got our answer. Go to bed. We’ll figure out a plan in the morning.”

She turned and stared me, her gaze impassive and resolved. “You won’t leave without discussing the plan with me first.” It was more of an order, less a request. Under normal circumstances, and if there were others around, I might have had to punish her for her insolent tone. But considering the circumstances, I could let it slide.

“Yes,” I replied plaintively. She narrowed her eyes, as if she didn’t believe me. “I said yes.” I held up my hands in surrender. I was too tired to argue the point right now. I just wanted sleep, and to ignore the looming problems this new information presented.

She continued to glare at me for a moment, before Phasma set the scroll gently down away from the others and nodded slowly, getting up, and brushing off non-existent dirt off her clothing. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, and after moment of hesitation, clapped me lightly on the shoulder. It was a friendly gesture, with no malice behind her intention, and it surprised me enough that I stood frozen until long after she’d left the room. I didn’t I had making much headway with Phasma in that regard, but I supposed I should be glad at least one good thing had come out of today.

When I finally got my addled brain working again, I walked back to my room with slow, lethargic steps. The medications had finally worn off and I was dead on my feet. I had no energy left to be subtle or poised, which made me even more glad for the private quarters I lived in.

When I first opened the door, it took me a moment to realize that Kylo wasn’t here. There was no one in the bed we normally shared, though the sheets seemed mussed, as if someone had been laying there earlier. He must have gotten called away, even though it was the middle of the night. I shouldn’t be surprised, though; he had been training more often with Snoke in the evenings.

Even though he wasn’t here, I could still smell his scent in the covers, and if I imagined a bit, could still feel his warmth too. I lay down on the bed and snuggled into the fabric trying to ignore how my body ached for him, for some kind of comfort. I wished he was here, that he could hold me close and brush my hair. I needed him to tell me it was going to be fine, even though my intuition was telling me quite the opposite.

It wasn’t the sleepiness, the aching tiredness in my bones from the past four days of constant searching, little sleep, and even less food. I’d found the clue I was searching for. There was something on Naboo, I was certain of it. I could feel the truth of Phasma’s evidence through the Force. There was something there.

But this feeling, this hesitation inside of me was coming from something else. Naboo frightened me. The idea of going there, where this had really all begun, terrified me in a way I couldn’t explain. It was a feeling in the Force I couldn't comprehend. There seemed no reason for it, no explanation I could come up with that made sense. The more I tried to think about it, the less it made sense. So against my better judgement, I ignored it and curled into the covers, shutting out the world and drifting into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

 

**_I was surrounded by darkness, the thick viscous atmosphere leaving me paralyzed, unable to move, unable to feel, unable to comprehend anything beyond the suffocating darkness. For what seemed like an eternity I was alone in the darkness, the lack of any stimuli slowly driving me insane. Then, quite suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. Though I couldn’t determine, who, or what it was, it moved slowly, almost as if was- curious. There was an innocence about, and a vague familiarity. I floated around me for a moment, almost as if it was considering me, observing me. Then it moved forward cautiously and touched my chest gently._ **

**_With a sudden, almost sickening motion, everything around us jerked suddenly, throwing us both into a sand filled arena, stone walls hundreds of feet high, and on top of them, hundreds of winged creatures, screaming at us as we fought for our lives Hundreds of lightsaber flashed around us, defending themselves against an endless army of drones, even as they marched on, slowly cutting down the battalion of Jedi. I could feel hopelessness threatening to crush us, even our desire to live grew impossibly bright._ **

**_The world jerked again, the darkness swallowing up the battle, for it only to be replaced by balcony, and below us a city, unlike anything I’d seen before, the towers reaching up, as if if they could just reach high enough, they might touch the stars above._ **

**_Then the vision changed again, and before us stood a city of round, almost bulbous looking buildings._ **

**_Before us, parade of amphibious creatures stood, a large bulbous one leading the procession as bright music played, the mood of crowds on either side joyous and cheering. White streams of paper fluttered around us as thousands cheered the parade on._ **

**_The last image was fleeting, a world on fire, the ground nothing but lava and molten rock, and as the red sky quickly faded into black, a single feeling remained, overwhelming us both. It was an overwhelming sense of sadness, anger, and most potently, betrayal. It consumed us, filling every available sense until the sheer power of the feelings thrust us apart, throwing the presence and I away from each other and into the darkness again._ **

 

I sat up, the breath gone my lungs, and for a moment I was choking once again in the foreign feelings thrust inside of me. The room spun around me viciously, and it was all I could do not to clutch my head and cry out in pain. There was too much- too much in my head, I couldn’t stand it.

“ **_Lyssa? Lyssa what’s wrong?_ ** ” Kylo asked, and I suddenly realized that my mind was still open to the Force, that I had no defenses whatsoever. I had no control over my thoughts, over any of part of my mind.

“ **_Fine_ ** ,” I gasped back, the remnants of the foreign emotions still running through my mind, making it difficult to determine where the foreign feelings ended and I began. “ **_Just- a bad dream._ ** ”

He didn’t feel convinced. “ **_I’ll be there soon._ ** ” 

His presence disappeared from my mind, and I lay back on the bed, breathing hard, clutching my chest, trying to calm down. 

Desperately, I began trying to reconstruct the walls around my mind, until all I could sense was the blessed silence of my brother’s room. I didn’t want to ponder what the implications of this vision had meant, or what the visions had even been of. I didn’t understand it. Every time the Force had shown me something, the meaning and intention had been clear. This had been anything but clear. The visions had been chaotic, the blurred images leaving me more disoriented than before. I could barely recall the details of each place without making my head spin. Everytime I tried, my feelings were jerked around, the sadness and rage threatening to choke me again.

Though it was barely a few minutes later when the door slid open and Kylo rushed through, pull off his mask and setting it on the table, it had felt like an eternity, each moment a battle, leaving me utterly spent. “Your mind was completely open.” Kylo said hurriedly, sitting down next to me and brushing the hair off my neck, and it was only the feeling of his hand sliding across the damp skin that made me realize I was covered in sweat. “What happened?”

“I had a vision,” I managed, sitting up slowly, using the gloved hand for support, “but it wasn’t- it wasn’t like anything I’ve experienced before. It was all jumbled, chaotic. It didn’t make any sense.” I tried to relay some of what I remembered, but I kept stuttering so badly that Kylo placed a hand on my chest gently.

“Lyssa,” Kylo whispered, “Breathe. Take your time. I’m not leaving.” I nodded and focused on his hand for a moment trying again, much more able to relay the small details I was sure of. 

By the end, though, Kylo seemed as confused as I was, and his lack of understanding didn’t make me feel any better about it. “There was- something else. Someone was there, with me in the vision. It was a presence, and it was because of them that I was thrown into the vision, almost like it was a trigger.”

“A presence?” Kylo asked, looking very worried. “Could it have been Luke?”

I shook my head, sure that at the very least, our uncle hadn’t managed to breach my defenses. “I would have recognized him.” I glanced at my brother then, and vaguely realized that Kylo was in his training garb, the dark outfit looser and lighter than his normal clothing. “Where were you so late at night?”

“I was training with the Supreme Leader,” Kylo said, and I felt a flash of fear go through me.

“Did he sense my open mind too?” I asked quietly, trying to quell the panic racing through me. If Snoke felt my mind, I was in trouble, a lot of trouble.

“No,” Kylo said honestly, “I didn’t sense anything until I had already left his presence.”

“He didn’t sense anything.” I breathed an internal sigh of relief. He hadn’t seen, I was safe, at least for the moment, but if my mind had been open the whole vision, and Kylo hadn’t sensed my mind until after he’d left training, then something must have kept my open mind hidden, somehow isolated from the rest of the Force. If I was right, then that only made the vision that much stranger, and it was yet another thing about the vision that I didn’t understand.

“Who could be strong enough though?” Kylo questioned, bringing me back to the conversation at hand. “to pull you into a vision like that?”

“I don’t know,” I finally said, because I had no answer for him, “maybe if I could understand the vision I might have a sense who it could be, but the vision just doesn’t make sense.” I slumped back onto the bed, my arm over my face so the light would sting my eyes so badly.

“What are you doing here, anyways?” Kylo asked gently, stroking my hair softly, the smooth motion soothing my throbbing head. “I thought you would still be with Captain Phasma.”

“We found something,” I said reluctantly, not wanting to get into this now, because I wasn’t in the mood, “a place that might contain the location of the First Temple.”

“That’s excellent news,” Kylo replied softly, “but you don’t seem too happy about it.” He wasn’t going to be when I told him where I needed to go. Even if Kylo had always, admired Darth Vader, we’d both agreed how dangerous it was to try and find places from his past. It was to our advantage that so few knew our full family history, and looking into our grandfather’s and our grandmother’s past was too dangerous to do safely.

“It’s Naboo,” I said finally. “I have to go to Naboo.”

“I’m coming with you,” He said firmly, hardly missing a beat, almost as if he been preparing for something like this to come up, but then again, so was I, because I was already shaking my head.

“You can’t”, I whispered softly, even though there was a part of me who wanted him desperately to come with me, but knowing that I would never be able to complete my mission with him by my side. Kylo Ren was too visible of a figure, and even though I loved my brother, but his temper was going to get us nowhere. I also needed him here to keep an eye on the rest of the Order while I was away, insuring my place here wouldn’t be in jeopardy while I was gone. “You have to stay here.”

“No I-” Kylo began, but I put finger gently across his lips, silencing his protest.

“You have to stay here,” I repeated, managing enough energy to crawl into his lap, gently turning his head back to look at me. “You have to stay here and protect what I’ve built. You have to make sure Hux doesn’t destroy all the work I’ve done here.” 

“I swore,” He said thickly, “That I wouldn’t let you go.” He looked so lost and helpless I couldn’t help myself, and I planted a soft kiss on his lips, settling my forehead in the crook of his shoulder.

“I’ll come back,” I promised fervently. “You know I always will.” His arms wrapped around hips, pulling me as close to him as possible, as if he was trying fuse us together. As if we weren’t bound already, so deeply I could never let go, even if I wanted to.

“You better,” he murmured into my shoulder, clutching me even tighter, almost to the point of pain. But it was such a sweet pain, and I couldn’t deny him now, I never could. “Or else I’ll burn anyone in my way to get you back.”

“I know.” I whispered, clutching him even tighter. “I know.”


	8. The Quest Begins

I stood in front of my ship, watching closely as the last of the supplies was loaded onto the craft. It was important that I got everything I needed before I left. Once I started on this hunt it might be too dangerous to try and retrieve supplies from a First Order outpost. I needed supplies for a least a few weeks if not several months. Kylo stood next to me, his masked face impassive on the surface, but I could tell he was worried. Even after our long discussion a few nights earlier, he had still tried to convince me to let him accompany me. The argument had been long and fierce, testing the the limits of my control until I had finally dragged my headstrong brother in front of the Supreme Leader, and he had agreed with my assessment that Kylo had finally, if somewhat reluctantly, relented. Even still, he had spent several, excruciating hours away from my mind, until he had finally returned to me, choosing instead to hold me so tightly I could still feel the ghost of his arms holding me even now.

"I wish-" He said softly.

"I know," I replied, "but I have to do this."

Kylo fell silent again, his frustrations palpable. He stayed that way, brooding silently until an officer came up to me.

"Your ship is ready," he informed me, giving me a small bow and looking far more than a little frightened as Kylo's hands clenched reflexively in anger.

"Tell the control room I'll be taking off in 10 minutes," I order quickly, giving the officer the excuse he needed to hurry away.

"Please try not to kill any other personal while I'm gone," I murmured once the officer was out of range. "They're just beginning to trust me."

Despite his thin block, I felt a flicker of humor come from him. Not for the first I wish he'd let us say our goodbyes in private. I wanted to kiss him, to hold him. I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist and hold him close to me, even though I knew that my arms would quite reach across his broad chest. I wanted to be able to assure him, to make him understand that I would return to him. I couldn't bear to leave him alone.

Instead, I could only gaze at that dark mask and it hurt; even still, I concealed the wounded feeling from him. I didn't want to leave on this mission with things sour between us, especially considering how long I might be gone. But as the time clicked closer to my departure, I knew I had to say goodbye.

I opened my mouth to speak the words, but Kylo grasped my hand, making me pause.

"Don't say goodbye," he said harshly, and echoed the pain I felt as well, making it hard to keep myself controlled.

"Not goodbye," I assured with a small smile, "Not forever. Just for now." I knew he wanted to say more, wished he could say more, but knew that to speak those words would us both at greater risk than before. So instead I turned away from, hoping to gather myself enough to be able to leave, so that I could return to him all the sooner. But as I looked away, I found my vision suddenly filled with-

"Phasma?" I asked, the name slipping from my lips in surprise. She wasn't wearing armor, instead a similar garb to mine; dark brown clothing that a person could easily overlook. "What are you-"

"I warned you it wasn't safe for you to go alone," she said with a shrug. "We should get going before our clearance expires." After a small nod to my brother, she walked around us and up into my ship.

"Did you-" Kylo asked.

"No," I replied, still genuinely surprised at the woman's appearance here, much less in no armor, on my ship. "But- I suppose you won't have to worry about me now."

"I'm not sure about that," Kylo said wryly, "but at least I know that you won't be alone."

"I was alone for a long time," I murmured.

"That is my my point," Kylo replied. "Be safe."

"I love you," He sent to me, and I returned the feeling to him, before quickly walking up the ramp. I didn't turn around because I wasn't entirely sure I would be able to leave if I did, and I did need to leave. Despite my reluctance, my wish that this could be otherwise, I knew that what I need to do, it couldn't be accomplished here.

Once I was inside the ship, I threw my bag in the compartment adjacent to the cockpit. When I got the cockpit, I was surprised to see Phasma sitting in the control seat, flipping the controls of the starting sequence.

"I thought this was supposed to be my mission," I said casually, leaning against the door frame, "and I didn't know you could fly."

"Before I was a captain, I was a flight leader," Phasma replied, "and you look dead on your feet. You're not going to get any information if you can't think properly." She glanced up at me, and I was surprised to see concern in her eyes. "Just rest. We'll be in Naboo in a day or so."

After a moment of consideration, I settled into the co-pilot's chair

and started flipping the controls that Phasma couldn't reach. The startup sequence moved much faster with us both working together, and in a matter of minutes we were off the planet, heading out into space.

" **Knight8, you are clear for hyperspace take off,** " the command's instructions came through, and Phasma sent the craft straight into hyperspace. Once I was sure that we were on course to Naboo, I settled back into the comfortable chair and closed my eyes, slipping into the familiar emptiness of space, letting my mind drift.

It seemed like only a few precious moments of blissful unawareness later when I felt a light shove against my shoulder pushing me back into my body, awareness of my limbs returning swiftly.

"Larissa," Phasma whispered, "We're here."

I opened my eyes and stretched my arms languidly over my head, looking out the ship's helm at Naboo. It was a vast green planet, with high, sharp cliffs, and as we flew over the city, I took in the rounded structures with their green roofs and white stone buildings. The hangar we landed in was bustling with a dozen other ships filled with various other species and personal. I adjusted my clothing and was once again quite grateful for the fact that my face had remained largely unknown to most of the galaxy as a Naboo droid checked in our ship.

"-and what is your reason for visiting this planet?" The droid asked pleasantly.

"Tourism," I supplied with a polite smile. The droid looked over the forged papers again. After a moment of hesitation, the droid stamped the papers and handed me an official envelope.

"Please read over these thoroughly and remember to remain within your designated sectors. Enjoy your stay!" The droid bustled away to the next person waiting. I quickly walked back up the ramp, and into the cockpit before I opened the packet. Inside were to genetic tags, designed to keep us in certain sectors. They were supposed to wear off the moment we left the atmosphere, but keep us contained within the planet's atmosphere. From the evidence we'd retrieved from the scrolls, I knew we were going to need to move beyond the borders described on the bright and helpful papers.

"Are those what we need to find the information we're looking for?" Phasma asked.

"Not quite," I said, slipping the tags out of the bag and handing one to the taller woman. "It looks like we're going shopping."

Phasma raised an eyebrow.

* * *

Walking through the areas of town we were allowed showed at first, a perfect, spiraling metropolis. The people smiled at us as they walked by, clothed in brilliantly colored garments. It was easy, though, to see beneath the facade, if you knew what you were looking for. If you looked behind the curtains of the cosy little storefronts, most of those stores were empty, and the guards posted around every corner had a look in their eyes that promised violence if rules weren't followed.

We walked around the tourist area until we found an inn with a good vantage point of the city. The room was small, with two beds wrapped in wooden headstands, the walls a pale cream color. I dropped my bag on the bed with a thump, flipping the curtains closed on the scenic view.

"So these genetic tags," Phasma said, sitting on her bed and examining the bracelet that marked the area where the tag now resided, "They're designed to prevent us from going into places we aren't supposed to go?"

"Essentially," I murmured, adjusting the bracelet. "But these bracelets aren't going to get us to where we need to go."

"Do you know where we need to go?" Phasma asked curiously. I turned around to my bag and fished out my tablet, bringing up a scan of one of the old scrolls.

"Once I knew I was looking for Naboo, I started cross-referencing any old Jedi locations or references in relation to this planet." I sat down next to her and handed her the tablet. "There was a reference of an old archive here on Naboo. If there is any information about the First Temple here, it's going to be there. No place else is old enough."

"But won't the government be alerted when we try to access it?" Phasma asked.

"No," I said quickly, "In the Naboo's 'Articles of Code' it specifically names that this place, this archive, is not, at any time to be held or monitored by a government or species. As long as we can get there undetected, no one will ever know we were there."

"That's very lucky," Phasma noted.

"It's  _very_  lucky for us that the Naboo has at least, mostly, adhered to that code, civil war or not." I leafed through the packet until I found a large holo-map of Naboo. "The location of the archive is here, on the other side of the planet. We can't get through the barriers on land, it would take too long to get clearance. The only way to get to the location is through here." I indicated the ocean. "The cities from the water species may have been destroyed, but the tunnels they used to get through the center of the planet are still there."

Phasma was already shaking her head, seeing my initial concerns at this plan. "But our ship won't go underwater, and the tags we have will set off the alarms before we can get close to the tunnels." Her eyebrows furrowed, and the she looked at me, understanding in her eyes. "The shopping."

"We're going to need dummy tags to fool the sectors scans, and a ship to get through the planet," I finished, slipping the map into my pocket. "So, do you want to get the ship or the tags?"

* * *

A half hour later I was sitting at a quaint little bar, sipping a glass of water. Finding the smuggling ring in the tourist sector hadn't been difficult. I simply chose the brightest bar. If there had been anything I'd learned throughout my life, was how to spot 'the wrong crowd'. There was a man in a long grey coat that I'd been eyeing for a half-hour. I'd already sent a message with the waiter droid, and simply settled back, waiting for my reply. If this guy couldn't get me what I needed, I'd find out who could. I had to admit, though, things could get difficult if they decided to use those weapons that were stashed in easy range of faux-customers various limbs.

Under normal circumstances, I'd simply go for one of the sabers that I'd hidden in my boot, but the last thing I needed was to make a scene that could filter to the Resistance's ears. I wasn't in the mood to be captured, so I wouldn't use my powers, unless it was a last resort. As I settled into the chair, I was left to my inner musings for company. It was only as I considered the scene, that I realized what amused me most about all this. For all the "lessons" Schneizel had taught me, he hadn't been the one to teach me in, more practical applications.

That honor had gone to another man, one that held very different place in my mind.

_I sat, barely still in the small booth, trying not grin widely at my dad sitting next to me. He had taken me on a mission with him, and I was so happy I could be helpful, as I had always wanted to be. As my leg began to bounce again in excitement, Dad's big hand rested on my knee, lightly reminding me to keep calm. I took another deep breath, but couldn't stop the wide grin when I looked up at the rugged man in light shirt and dark jacket._

" _Okay Lyssa," Dad said, gesturing to scene beyond us, "What do you see?"_

_I took another breath and looked out at the little parlor. "Twenty-three customers: ten civilians, four employees. In the back corner, there are nine people, six of them are guards for the other three. They're the important ones."_

" _Very good," Dad encouraged. "Can you tell which ones are which?"_

_I glanced quickly at the corner again. "The one on the corner, two over from him, and- the one standing next to the table." Though my last guess was more of a question, I could tell by my Dad's brilliant smile that I'd gotten it right._

" _Perfect." Dad smiled. "One last question. Can you tell which one is looking to sell something? Try not to look back again."_

_I bit my lip as I tried to picture the table again. "The man in the middle?"_

" _Are you sure?"_

_I looked down, not wanting to disappoint my dad. "No," I admitted reluctantly._

" _It's okay Lyssa," Dad reassured me, pinching my chin affectionately. "It takes time to learn how to read people. I know you'll get it eventually. You're your mother's daughter, and she's the best at understanding people."_

_I nodded, taking in every word. "Is that the person you're looking for? Are you going to buy something from them? How much do you have to pay?" I hadn't seen Dad carry much money._

_Dad grinned a little wolfishly. "Hopefully not as much he's expecting to get for it."_

" _Are you going to do it now?"_

" _No," Dad said, as if he was assuring himself as much as me, "This is just a little recon." He pinched my cheek, making me fight back a giggle. "And you were very helpful."_

" _I want to help more," I said excitedly, and suddenly, I could feel that familiar spark at my fingertips, and underneath my skin, was a power itching to be used._

" _No, Lyssa, you've done more than enough," Dad said, ruffling my dark hair. "Now we need to get you back before your mother finds out where we've gone."_

" _But Daddy, I can take it now, we don't have to pay anything!" I whined, and crossed my arms, huffing._

_Dad chuckled, ruffling my hair. "I like the way you think, Lyssa," He said, "but even if we did that, what will that say about our reputation, huh? You have to think about more than just this job, or you won't survive very long out here."_

_A thought came to me, almost unbidden. "But if I used my powers, they won't even remember I made them forget!"_

" _Listen to me Lyssa," He said, suddenly serious, taking my hand and holding it tight. "Never use your powers as a first resort. If you use them all the time, people can learn your limits and use those limits against you. Promise me," he said softly, "promise me that Lyssa."_

" _ **I promise**_ ," I murmured softly as the dregs of the memory pulled at me. A sense of melancholy swept through me, and I quelled the sadness at the memory of my father's voice, the voice I would never hear again, except for in the deep recesses of my mind. It was hard not to think of him, when in another life, I could almost imagine him to be a partner, my helper in this venture.

"What's a pretty little girl like you doing in a place like this?" The high, oily voice was what finally brought me out of the memory, disgust wiping the last bit of melancholy from my mind. The sound came from the portly man I'd been spying on for a half-hour, waiting for him to stop eyeing me like a piece of meat and answer the message I'd sent.

I smiled softly back. "I'm looking for a seller of, unusual goods."

"Unusual, eh?" The man settled into the chair across from me, unfurling his pudgy limbs. "Care to elaborate, sweetheart?"

Ignoring the leering smile, I passed a piece of paper with the written necessities. The man picked it up after a few tries of pawing at table. He read through the paper and grunted in surprise.

"Those things, are very unusual." He glanced at me wearily. "In some circles they might even be, unattainable according to law."

"And those products would very valuable, to the right seller," I replied back, smirking as the man preened under the supposed compliment.

"I would love to help you darling, but unfortunately I don't deal in  _this_  kind of unusual."

"But you would know who might," I hedged. "I hear such information would be very lucrative." The man considered me for a moment before he called out to the bartender, "Give this darling whatever she wants to drink." He turned back to me. "I'll see what I can do darling."

"The effort is appreciated." I inclined my head in thanks and the man heaved himself out of the chair and wobbled away. I would most likely being be paying an arm and a leg for such information. But if it could get me what I needed, I wouldn't mind. It was a good thing I'd brought plenty of money because I had a feeling that the right ship was going to cost just as much.

The waiter sauntered over to me, looking expectantly, but I simply handed her my empty water glass and sent her away. Alcohol wasn't the best idea at the moment. The time I spent waiting for the dealer to return was much shorter than how long he had been making me wait before. The man was back in less than twenty minutes. He probably wanted to get paid.

As he huffed back into the chair, he gave me another leering smile. "Good news, darling. I found someone who can get you what you need. I've even taken the trouble of setting up a meeting between you two." He slapped a paper envelope onto the table

"How generous," I murmured, pulling out my satchel and counting out more than half of the money I'd taken for this venture, far more than I would have normally paid for this kind of information. I picked up the envelope and began to stand, only to find a stocky pair of men blocking my way.

"I'm afraid that this isn't quite going to cover it," the slimy man hissed, and I turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"You require more money?" I asked lightly.

The man leered at me, his pudgy fingers reaching out and pawing at my thigh. "This requires more, physical payment."

I laughed lightly, and a current of Force raced across my skin, and the man's hand jerked back, his eyes wide in shock.

"You really should have taken the money," I murmured, a dark grin lighting up my face.

* * *

 I found Phasma an hour later, following the call of her mind through the Force. She had found a shop that sold underwater ships rather quickly. I was impressed at her efficiency. When I finally saw her, she was sitting outside of the shop, looking very disgruntled.

"How'd you make out?" I asked lightly.

"We can get a ship," Phasma replied, looking a little murderous, but no so much so that I thought I might need to be worried, "but only if we're citizens of Naboo."

"Well good news is we'll have the tags in two days." I sat down next to her, looking out at the picaresque waterway. "Here." I passed her the wad of currency I had left over my excursion.

Phasma fingered through the money, staring at me in disbelief when she finished counting. "You got what you needed for free?!" She asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "I made a deal they couldn't refuse."

She narrowed her eyes, and I was again reminded why I liked her so much as, in quite a quick fashion, she came to the correct conclusion. "You used your powers on them," she said accusingly.

"To be fair I did offer money first," I replied lightly.

"If someone finds out you did that, it could get back to the wrong people," Phasma hissed. "You have to be more careful."

"I am careful," I replied coldly, my annoyance slipping through for a moment that anyone would think to lecture me on the necessity of control. Plasma, sensing my annoyance, sighed and put her head in her hands, and I was surprised to sense a touch of concern emanating from her. "Trust me," I finally said. "I don't treat my powers lightly. I'm too powerful to do anything else. I wouldn't have used my power without good reason, alright?"

Finally she looked at me. "It is your mission. You make the final call."

"But I need you to trust me." Phasma glanced at me disbelievingly. "Well at least on this." I amended quickly." Asking you to trust me on anything else would just be a waste of our time." I stood, straightening my jacket. "Let's go find some dinner, shall we?"

After a moment of consideration, Phasma nodded and stood.


	9. Trust and Respect

Rey sat cross-legged on her bed, each breath in and out was deep as they pulsed with the pull of the Force around her. The ever-present thrum was a constant that the young woman had come to rely on these past few months, to keep her steady and calm. It was thing that she had grasped onto, even as everything around her had changed. It was easy to say that Rey loved the peace she found in the simple meditation of the Force, and she was intensely grateful that this, at least, came easy to her.

However today, she tread more cautiously than before. Something had happened the last time she had ventured into the Force, something that Rey couldn't quite explain. She'd had a vision, as chaotic and confusing as the first time she had touched Luke's lightsaber. To be honest she was still trying to make sense of the things and places she'd seen. Unlike the first vision, which had come into more focus after she'd been captured by Kylo Ren, Rey still had no reference for the mangle of images that had been shown to her. More importantly, when Rey had been in the vision, it hadn't been like the first time, where she had been a bystander, watching the scenes play out before her. This time it had been like- like she had truly been there, living the past as if it was her own, which only had confused Rey more, because she was certain that she'd never set foot on a planet made of fire and magma, or been in front of a parade in a city more beautiful than anything she could have ever imagined.

Rey was quite certain she'd remember something like that.

The whole thing had left Rey's head feeling so heavy with the oddest feelings that she'd been scolded by Luke the next day when she had failed to properly replicate her master's teachings. But even when Master Luke has asked what was wrong, Rey had been hesitant to share with Master Luke as to exactly why she was so distracted. Something about the entire affair had felt private. It had been an odd feeling at first, because Rey had never before felt as though she needed to hide much of anything from her Master. It had been part of the agreement between her and Luke, that she would be honest with him, and that in turn he would train her.

Rey understood why Luke had wanted it this way, had even needed it to be this way, from what she had known of his past, how his past apprentice had betrayed him. She had understood even more when Luke had told her more of Kylo Ren's past, when he had been known only as Ben Solo. She had been surprised to learn of Larissa Solo's existence, and that she had also trained with Luke. When Rey had originally asked of her, Luke had only said that she had had great potential, but had disappeared after Ben Solo's betrayal. Rey had wanted to press for more, like why no one, especially General Organa, never mentioned her, or why Luke had not tried to find her. But something deep inside her, the part that had woken the first moment she'd used the Force, had stalled the questions on her tongue, as if warning her now was not the time to ask.

Still, Larissa Solo had touched at her curiosity, appearing in her thoughts at the oddest of times, like when Rey had been in the middle of practicing her lightsaber forms, or when she had been reading one of the many volumes lain about Luke's dwelling of connected caverns. Rey had often wondered if Larissa had read these words, if she had found them as confusing and intriguing as she had. But of course, Rey knew better than to voice her odd musings to Luke, because they were just that- odd musings that crossed her mind.

And so in everything else, Rey was honest with Luke, and she strived to be a worthy apprentice to Luke Skywalker, because she wanted Luke to be proud of her, especially when Han Solo had thought so highly of him. Rey was diligent in her studies. She took in every word of her Master's, and took the small times when she was free of her training to contact her only friends, and it was those contacts that kept her abreast of the world outside the small, green island on which she trained. At first, Rey had thought that Master Luke would make her stay there until he was satisfied with her training. But that had not been in the case. Instead, after a few short weeks, they had used the Falcon to travel far and wide, returning on occasion to both the Resistance and the small island Luke had called home. Rey was grateful, because it seemed that Luke understood her desperate fear of being tied to place, like she had been on Jakku, and had taken steps to make certain she would never feel that again. Rey had been, and still was, grateful for his efforts, and it made her work even harder on her training.

The only thing that Rey had disagreed with her Master on was Luke's insistence that they not fight in battles of any kind, that they should remain neutral. It had infuriated Rey that she had to stay behind, with all this new power, while her Resistance friends, Poe Dameron and a newly healed Finn, fought the First Order on the front lines. When Rey had asked if that included Kylo Ren and the mysterious Supreme Leader, it had made Rey feel a bit better that Master Luke had agreed, that at some point, it would be necessary to battle them, though he'd made it clear that he didn't think that they would encounter either for some time.

When Luke had told her that they were to accompany the Resistance to the the base of a new rebel clan, where Larissa had been found, miraculously alive and fighting against the First Order, Rey had been quite excited. Not only would she get to meet Larissa Solo, but if she was as powerful as Master Luke had hinted, then perhaps, together they could convince Luke to stand more firm against the First Order as a whole, and the two Sith at the heart of it. Those hopes, however, had been dashed on that disastrous day, the entire affair leaving a bad taste in Rey's mouth as she had seen a side of her Master that Rey still found- odd. Even in the several months since the quick, frenzied battle, she had still not gotten a straight answer from Luke about what had exactly happened in that decrepit hanger.

It had also only been after that time, did Rey realize that even though she had promised honesty, Luke had not done the same. He had promised to train Rey, and Rey had trusted that, in turn, he would be honest with her as being a Master should have required. But clearly Master Luke thought that she still didn't need to know about why, almost inexplicably, Larissa Solo had seemed to hate Luke Skywalker. This left Rey in a troubling position. She could not go against her Master Luke, to whom she did feel she owed so much, but at the same time, those odd musings still remained, and continued to prick at Rey's consciousness, a constant reminder that she still knew so little about the Skywalker family.

Which was why Rey had reached out to Kallen Kozuki in the hopes of learning something, anything that could help her. As Rey sat on the bed, she considered again how the vision had come just mere days after Rey had voiced her own need for help, outside of her Master's realm of influence. Maybe, the Force had tried to answer her in kind. The vision though, had been less than helpful, and Rey forced to breath deeply again to calm her annoyed feelings. This was just like a machine, and even though the all the parts didn't quite fit, Rey knew her only recourse was continuing searching for the right information, like she hadn't the forgotten vessels for hours, until she found the right piece that would make everything work like it should. Rey was certain of one thing, however, and that was that she'd been shown these things for a reason, and that Master Luke hadn't been meant to see them.

Even still, Rey was more careful whenever she meditated deep into the Force, so she wouldn't have to see anything more without being prepared for the consequences. As she took another deep breath, Rey felt a presence wander into her realm of consciousness, but before she could determine the presences identity and intent, a knock came from her door. Rey sighed and uncrossed her legs, deciding it was better to just let person in than to dig unnecessarily in their mind.

"Come in," she called out. The door slide open with a small hiss, and Rey was surprised to see Kallen stepping in quickly, looking nervous. "Kallen," Rey said, slipping off her bed to stand and greet the woman. "What can I do for you?"

"I've thought about what you said," Kallen said slowly, "and I think you're right. You're probably going to get to Larissa before I do, and as I much as I think she needs a serious ass-kicking for the shit-show she's started, I don't think she deserves to die, not after all she's been through. Maybe you can help her, maybe you can't, but I know I'd never forgive myself if at least I didn't try to help."

Rey smiled encouragingly, and she thanked whatever or whoever had convinced Kallen to come. "I don't know if I'll be able to either, but I'd like try."

Kallen nodded, her red hair bobbing with the motion. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

* * *

 Rey and Kallen spent hours talking. At first it was awkward. Neither really knew what to say and the last thing Rey wanted was was for Kallen get riled and leave, because she knew that Kallen was the only link she had to the daughter of Han Solo, and Rey could sense was very close to what she needed to explaining everything that had been bugging Rey for the past several months. At first Kallen talked about Aurora Canan, the alias that Larissa had assumed when she had no memories of her previous life. Kallen seemed to be able to speak of the those years easier, because of her extraordinary dislike for Britannians, and her powerful loyalty to the cause she fought for: the complete freedom of her people, and the destruction of the Britannian System. After a while though, the two eased into an unspoken agreement Rey would ask only clarifying questions, and Kallen would decide what stories she would share.

"I remember the first time I saw her in person," Kallen said quietly. "She asked for Zero. I'm still not sure how she managed to get a message to one of our undercover members, but Zero was impressed at her conviction. If anyone sympathetic to Britannia had gotten their hands on that message, she would've been charged with treason and executed." Kallen paused then, as if the very thought of that, even now, made her a little ill. After taking a quick breath, she continued.

"When I saw her, I had to admit I was- really suspicious as first, even after she said she wasn't really Britannian. It just seemed too ridiculous to believe that someone had just dropped her here and managed to convince a wealthy Britannian noble to take her in as their own. The idea was absolutely insane." Something pricked at Rey's annoyance then, but she chose to ignore it as Kallen continued on. "But after a while, when the information we started getting from her was not only credible, but also keeping us ahead of Britannia in ways we hadn't before, people really started to trust her."

"But not you," Rey hedged quietly.

"Trusting a Britannian is a great way to get yourself killed," Kallen muttered, almost as if she couldn't help herself, before she seemed to realize she'd gotten off-topic "I also don't convince easily," Kallen said a bit lamely, before quickly continuing on, "but, it was during our second time in the Chin Federation when something changed. During a fight, I got hit by an enemy knightmare frame and I was nabbed by some Chin looking to make a deal with the Britannians." Kallen paled a little, and Rey didn't the Force to tell how unpleasant the experience had been for other woman. "I thought I was goner for sure, but Larissa helped me escape before they could transfer me into Britannian custody. I still don't know how she managed it, but Larissa gave me enough of a window that while Zero was busy decimating the Britannian forces with his new knightmare, I got the hell out of their with my knightmare. I guess that's when I really started trusting her, y'know? I mean, she'd never even met me, and still she risked everything just make sure I was safe. She put herself above others, always, even at the risk of her own life."

Rey nodded, because it was what she had expected her to be like. Kallen was a hard woman to crack, and Rey doubted Larissa could have garnered Kallen's loyalty with anything less than a selfless heart. The more Rey heard, the more she was sure that Larissa Solo and Aurora Canan had both carried heavy burdens, ones that had required them to sacrifice much for others safety. But Rey still didn't understand how those burdens could have caused so much torment that she would turn against the very core of her beliefs, and betray those she had protected. There was something she was missing, of that Rey was certain, but she was certain that the only person who could tell her the truth was the one person Rey was unable to reach. Rey still wasn't about to let Kallen go, not now that she had the woman talking.

Rey opened her mouth to ask another question when the small tablet next to Kallen lit up. She picked it up and scanned the note, but Rey was surprised when she suddenly rocketed off the bed, her entire frame vibrating with so much excitement, it didn't take much for Rey to be nearly overwhelmed with the feeling.

"We gotta get to the control room," She said quickly, pulling Rey up along with her.

"We?" Rey asked, trying to decide if she was more amused or annoyed that she was again getting pulled along by her arm with no idea as to why.

Kallen glanced back at her with an odd look on her face. "You're not going to want to miss this."

* * *

 When the door opened into the enormous control room, there was no person who wasn't moving as if a sandstorm was following them. Kallen immediately grabbed Rey's wrist again and guided her through the bustling storm to the center of the control room where Leia stood with several Resistance generals and Black Knights generals, the masked Zero at the helm. As soon as they were clear to the table, Kallen let go of Rey's hand, turning to an older man. It took a moment to remember the elder man's name. _Tohdoh_ , her mind supplied helpfully as she leaned in to listen in on their words.

"I saw the alert, what's going on with the Order?" Kallen asked.

"They're attacking the Castia cluster," Tohdoh said, Rey noted he didn't seem too upset by it.

"Isn't that bad?" Kallen hissed.

Tohdoh's mouth curled into a small smile. "No. They're getting beaten back." Kallen looked practically gobsmacked, and Rey was feeling the same. She turned to General Organa, questions already on her lips, but the elder woman was already speaking, as if knowing what she was going to ask.

"Our spies got word one of the governments within the Castia cluster had aligned themselves with the First Order. We were able to alert the other governments in time that they were ready for the coup. With Zero's help we have a real chance of taking back the system."

"But how did we manage to get the information?" Rey asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Leia murmured, her face looking troubled. Rey turned to the large table, Kallen next to her.

"How did we get alerted?" Kallen asked the larger group.

"The First Order started moving large amounts of troops into the cluster. It wasn't hard to guess who might be the target after that," Li answered, glancing between his tablet and the larger holo recorder in the middle of the large table.

"That's downright sloppy, doesn't sound like Larissa at all," Kallen huffed.

"Maybe we just got lucky," Lieutenant Connix interjected gruffly.

"Kallen is right, Larissa wasn't in charge of the final assault," Zero murmured, and even in the commotion surrounding Rey could he knew _something_.

"How can you be certain?" Rey asked, not able to help the instinct telling her to ask the query. The masked man turned his gaze to her then, answering her directly.

"Because we have received word that General Hux is personally leading this assault. Even if Larissa had determined that a full assault was necessary, she would never have given away leading the assault. Unless, of course, she was no longer in charge of the mission."

"But why would they take her off?" Kallen demanded. "I'd hate to sound pessimistic but she's been kicking our asses pretty thoroughly. Why would they re-assign when she's clearly been doing so well?"

"The Supreme Leader must have determined there was a more important mission that required Larissa's skills," Zero replied, sitting back, "and while that is troubling, what is more troubling that the First Order has made a mistake, and now they are less predictable because we aren't certain how it occurred."

"Well," Finn's reluctant voice carried from the other side of Leia, "I don't know much about Larissa, but I do know that Kylo Ren and General Hux hated each other. We weren't supposed to talk about it, but Hux pretty obviously thought that Kylo Ren didn't deserve the position he'd been given. I'd bet a lot that Hux feels the same about Larissa. When she got reassigned, Hux probably thought that this was an opportunity to prove to the Supreme Leader that he was better than them."

"And in the process has lost them a territory," Zero said thoughtfully. "Thank you Finn for the insight. That could solves one of our queries. As for the second, do you know if any outstanding mission that would be more important than expanding the First Order's reach?"

Finn shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "The only one I knew of was finding Luke Skywalker before the Resistance, but that one's kind of moot now."

"I see," Zero said neutrally, but Rey could sense a bit of frustration in his rigid form. Obviously it was not the answer that Zero had wanted to hear. "That is our priority, then, to find Larissa's new mission before she can undo the damage done by Hux." He looked aside to Li. "Please insure the Black Knights continue to provide assistance to the Castia Cluster. We must make sure to bolster their defenses before the First Order can return with reinforcements." He turned back to the rest of the group. "We cannot let Castia Cluster fall."

"I believe I may know Larissa's mission," a familiar, quiet voice murmured from behind Rey. She turned around to see her master, standing just outside the control room. "If I may enter?" Everyone looked to Zero then, and he considered Rey's master for a moment before leaning forward, his gloved hands tapping twice in quick succession, before nodding slightly. The invisible barrier was released and Luke stepped through, weaving his way to the center of the room.

"Well," Zero asked swiftly. "What do you believe is Larissa's assignment?"

"I believe that the Supreme Leader has instructed Larissa to locate the First Jedi Temple." Rey looked up in surprise. That was the very thing that Luke had been searching for over ten years ago when he'd disappeared.

_And another thing he hasn't spoken to me about_ , Rey thought, before she quickly banished the thought. She trusted her Master.

"Why would the Supreme Leader risk such a promising asset as Larissa to look for a an old building?" Zero's commander, Li asked cooly from next to Zero.

"The First Jedi Temple is said to hold knowledge containing powerful secrets of the Force, lost since the the time of the First Republic," Luke replied. "Gaining those secrets would not only bolster the First Order, but also make both Larissa and Kylo Ren more powerful than before." He turned to Li more specifically. "And as to your first question of why Larissa was chosen, I taught her for many years, and I have no doubt with the right information, she'll be able to locate the temple within a matter of weeks."

"Of that I have no doubt," Zero said grimly. "Tell me, Master Skywalker, did you ever manage to locate the temple?"

"No," Luke replied. "I was never able to discover it's location." There was a breath of disappointment around the table. "However, I did keep detailed records of the information I'd gathered. I would be happy to retrieve them for you if you wish."

"That would be most helpful," Leia suddenly said, her voice grateful. "Please take whatever ship you need to retrieve them."

Luke inclined his head to his sister and then glanced at Rey, motioning for her to follow. Rey gave Kallen a warm smile, before turning away and following after her master. She managed to catch up to him just outside the hall.

"Are we going to retrieve the information master?" Rey asked, hopeful that they would finally be able to do something useful, something that might get them closer to finding Larissa.

"No," Luke said firmly, "There is no need. I already know where the temple is." Rey nearly tripped then surprise, her eyes wide.

"Master, if you know where the temple is, why don't you tell them?" Rey managed not to shout, but she couldn't help the hint of anger in her words.

"Because I don't trust these people," Luke replied firmly. "There are things about the temple- secrets you do not know. As Jedi we cannot- we _will_ not allow those secrets to fall to the hands of outsiders."

"But with their help we could defend the temple," Rey insisted, "perhaps even capture Larissa-"

"No," Luke repeated, and his voice was so harsh it stopped Rey's protests in her throat, "We must insure the temple remains buried." He put his hands on Rey's shoulders, looking her deep into her eyes. "You must promise me not to tell those people what you know."

Rey didn't want to. It felt like she was betraying her friends, and her newly found camaraderie with Kallen. It felt wrong to hide this crucial piece of information from the very people Rey knew could help them. But as she looked at Luke, there was a part of her that insisted that she couldn't betray Luke, she _had_ to trust him. "Alright," She finally agreed. "What are you going to do now?"

"I have already destroyed one archive that has the location, now. I must locate the other archive so that no matter where Larissa searches, she won't find it."

Luke kept his eyes on her, and only let go of her arms when she began nodding in reluctant agreement. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Tell me if you receive any word of Larissa's progress," Luke replied. "She must not be allowed to take the temple under any circumstances."

"I will," Rey promised, and Luke nodded then, glancing away from her, seemingly swayed by her answer.

Before he left, though, he touched her shoulder, and whispered softly, "May the Force be with you, Rey."

"May the Force be with you as well Master," Rey intoned back, and her careful expression remained until her master was long gone from her ability to sense him. The feeling of trust vanished as quickly as it had come, and as Rey's mind settled, she was certain that Luke, for all of his wisdom, was wrong about this. This couldn't be the only way, Rey was certain. Rey may agree that telling everyone the truth was not a good idea, but she did know of two people she trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Without hesitation, Rey turned around and ran back to the control room. She got lucky, both Finn and Poe were walking out just as she turned the corner, her heart racing. She grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them into an empty corridor.

"Hey Rey," Poe said brightly, but his expression changed when he took in her palpable intensity. "What's wrong?" he asked, lowering his voice while Finn looked equally concerned.

"Nothing yet," Rey said honestly, "But there will be if we do nothing. I need to tell you something, and you have to promise not to tell anyone- at least not yet." They looked at each other, and they both seemed to agree on something before turning back to Rey.

"What do you need, Rey?" Finn asked, and his smile gave Rey hope, that maybe, just maybe, they might be able to pull off another miracle together.


End file.
